Legal Counsel for Real Estate Development, Investment, and Transactions in the UAE
JUR advises developers, institutional investors, sovereign capital, and private equity sponsors on the complete legal architecture of real estate transactions and development projects across the UAE's most dynamic and rigorously regulated property markets.
Practice Overview
Dubai and Abu Dhabi have established themselves as the pre-eminent real estate investment destinations in the Middle East, attracting institutional capital, sovereign wealth funds, and global developers at unprecedented scale. The legal framework underpinning UAE real estate is correspondingly sophisticated: Law No. 7 of 2006 governing property ownership in Dubai, Law No. 19 of 2017 on ownership of jointly owned real property, Law No. 8 of 2007 on escrow accounts for off-plan developments, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency framework, and the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport regulatory architecture together constitute one of the most comprehensively legislated property environments in the MENA region. Navigating this environment demands legal counsel with both regulatory command and transactional experience at institutional scale.
JUR’s Real Estate and Development practice advises across the complete transaction lifecycle, from initial site acquisition and development structuring through to exit, refinancing, and asset management. We act for master developers and sub-developers on flagship mixed-use projects, institutional investors acquiring income-producing commercial and hospitality assets, sovereign entities deploying capital at portfolio scale, and private equity sponsors executing value-add strategies across residential, commercial, retail, and logistics real estate. Our counsel combines precise command of UAE property law with the cross-border structuring expertise required for international capital entering the market, ensuring every transaction is optimised for legal compliance, ownership efficiency, and long-term exit optionality.
Acquisition and Disposal
Title due diligence, SPA negotiation, title transfer, and foreign ownership structuring across Dubai freehold zones, Abu Dhabi investment areas, and UAE free zone property markets
Development Advisory
Project legal structuring from inception through delivery, including RERA registration, escrow compliance under Law No. 8 of 2007, Oqood registration, and contractor engagement under FIDIC frameworks.
Joint Ventures
Landowner and developer JV structuring, profit participation mechanisms, mezzanine investment arrangements, development management agreements, and step-in right provisions for construction lenders.
Real Estate Finance
Senior and mezzanine development facility documentation, mortgage registration with the Dubai Land Department, Islamic finance structuring including Ijara and Murabaha products, and lender-side security advisory.
Off-Plan Compliance
SPA drafting and compliance, escrow account structuring, RERA off-plan project regulatory compliance, and broker agreement frameworks for master developers and sub-developers.
Strata and Owners Associations
Establishment and governance of jointly owned property schemes under Law No. 27 of 2007, service charge disputes, management company advisory, and developer handover obligations.
Investment Structures
REIT structuring under applicable UAE regulatory frameworks, fund formation for real estate investment vehicles in DIFC and ADGM, and SPV structuring for institutional investors.
Regulatory Compliance
RERA, DLD, and Abu Dhabi municipal regulatory compliance, foreign ownership framework advisory, free zone real estate licensing, and real estate broker regulatory matters.
Dispute Resolution
RERA dispute resolution, onshore UAE court litigation, DIFC-LCIA and DIAC arbitration, and enforcement of judgments and arbitral awards in real estate matters across UAE jurisdictions.
Why Global Institutions Choose JUR
UAE real estate of institutional quality requires legal counsel that understands not only the regulatory framework but the commercial dynamics of a market where transaction velocity, deal certainty, and post-completion risk management are equally consequential. JUR’s practitioners have advised on transactions and development projects of material scale across the UAE’s primary markets. We operate at the intersection of property law, commercial law, and regulatory compliance with the transactional discipline that institutional-quality real estate advisory demands.
